Churches Rigged for Trouble?
Apr 21, 2005 5:46 PM
A key feature of the new, 400,000-square-foot facility now under construction for Idlewild Baptist Church near Tampa, Fla., is a series of eight catwalks designed to accommodate hundreds of light fixtures and other devices. But megachurches aren't the only worship sites with ambitious rigging plans, and experts fear many churches, in all size ranges, are giving this critical topic short shrift.
Churches represent a big opportunity for rigging designers and contractors, notes Bill Sapsis of Sapsis Rigging, Lansdowne, Pa. "It's no secret the church industry is very attractive," he says. "It's a growing market that is also being cultivated by the industry."
Karl Ruling, technical standards manager at the Entertainment Services and Technology Association, says, "Many megachurches are virtually indistinguishable from large theaters. Their production values are [equivalent] to professional theater. They fly scenery, speakers, lighting, and performers."
There's the rub, says Sapsis: Too many churches are taking on these complex jobs with inexperienced volunteers. "These are not professional entertainment people," he says. "They have across-the-board knowledge gaps. They have no training, no experience, and bring no skills to the job."
The dangers of improper rigging are pretty obvious when performers are being lifted into the air, but Sapsis fears many church media managers aren't sufficiently sensitive to the ordinary day-to-day risks. A falling lighting instrument can do a lot of damage, he notes, to pews, carpets, floors, or worshippers who happen to be in its path.
One answer, he suggests, is to take advantage of widely available training opportunities. Sapsis' own firm organizes training programs for diverse organizations, and similar programs are available from such sources as Rigging Seminars of Seattle, Wash., where website visitors can also find a library of books and other reference materials.
Some training sources are more local, Sapsis notes, but may have to be sought out. A prime example: the local community college or university. These institutions may have theater programs that may be a source of consultant services. Other academic departments, such as engineering, could also yield sound advice for church rigging neophytes.
At a minimum, Sapsis suggests a church media minister retain a professional designer to guide, supervise, and inspect the work of volunteer installers. "At least hire a pro to work with your people, even if you don't hire his whole team."
How many church leaders, though, take advantage of opportunities to learn the secrets of safe and effective rigging?
Ruling expresses some doubts. "I gave a talk on safety at the Inspiration trade show about a year ago," he says. "I had four people in the audience. When I gave the talk at InfoComm a few weeks later, I had no people in the audience. No one showed up except me and the room monitor."
As churches become more and more production-focused, a steadily growing volume of theatrical rigging is being installed in churches of all sizes. But without attention to design and safety issues, the leaders of these churches may not only be missing out on the full benefits of a well-executed system but courting serious trouble as well.
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